BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE AS A PILGRIM

A long distance call from Mrs. Nora Garganera of the Executives Resources,
Inc. on Dec. 9, 1997 took me by surprise. A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land was offered to me as a Gift, having been a member of the National Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement Council, representing the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. Without much ado I accepted the offer and made myself available for the trip. The offer was, indeed, an answer to a prayer I lifted up to the Lord two years ago when I asked Him to give me an opportunity to visit the Holy Land before I breathe out my last breath.

And so, on Feb. 2, 1998 I found myself together with 30 other pilgrims raring to board the PAL flight to Bangkok and from there to Tel Aviv thru the EL-AL Israel Airlines.

For me, the pilgrimage was educational, enjoyable, exciting, enriching, and
envigorating.


Educational - What were mere pictures or imaginations before have now become realities for me. I saw for myself the places and spots where Jesus, Our Lord, lived historically. Among the most memorable for me are the following:
Bethlehem – where Jesus was born
Nazareth – where He lived for about thirty years
Jordan River – where He was baptized by St. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-15)
Mount of Temptations – where He underwent forty days of fasting and
temptations after His baptism (Matthew 4:1-11)
Cana – where He performed His first miracle in a wedding celebration (John 2:1-11)
Capernaum – where He performed most of His miracles
Caesaria Philippi – where Simon Peter acknowledged Jesus as the
Messiah, the Son of the Living God (Mark 8:27-30)
Sea of Galilee – where He walked and calmed a storm (Matthew 8:23-27)
Tabgha – where He fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish (Matthew 14:13-21)
Gergesa – where He healed two demon-possessed men, driving the
demons to a herd of pigs who rushed down into the Sea of Galilee and drowned
Nain – where He raised to life the dead son of a widow (Luke 7:11-17)
Jericho – where He saw the tax collector Zaccheus on a sycamore tree.
This is considered to be the oldest city in the world to have been discovered so far – the cradle of civilization as far back as 7,000 to
10,000 B.C.
Mount of Beatitudes – where He uttered the immortal words of the
Beatitudes, considered to be the basic principles of Christian Life
Mount of Olives – where He foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, taught
the Lord’s Prayer, spent the nights in prayer, and where He ascended to heaven.
Bethany – Home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary and site of Jesus’
Ascension
Jerusalem – which has been crowned as Queen of the world’s cities for 30
centuries. This is the religious capital of half of the human race. To the Jews it is the symbol of their past glories and the hope of their future. To the Moslems it is the city where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have ascended to heaven. To the Christians it is the city of Jesus’ last ministry, the city which saw Jesus die and rise from the dead.
Western Wall (Wailing Wall) – is the holiest shrine of the Jewish world.
It is revered as the last relic of the last Temple. The Western Wall is a portion of the retaining wall that Herod built around the second temple in 20 B.C. For the Jews this is a place for national rejoicing as well as a place of worship.
Mt. Tabor – where Jesus was gloriously transfigured in the presence of
Peter, John and James
Mt. Zion – site of the Last Supper
Garden of Gethsamane – where Jesus on His last night underwent the
most sorrowful hour of his passion. It was here that we lifted up to the Lord our special petitions.
Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) – is deemed to be the pathway Jesus
followed in carrying the Cross from Pontius Pilate’s judgment hall, where He was condemned to death.
Calvary – believed to be the site of the crucifixion of Our Lord
Tomb of Christ – located at the foot of Calvary. It was hewn out of a
rock by Joseph of Arimathea’s family
Basilica of the Dormition – marks the site where Blessed Mother Mary
died.
Jaffa (Joppa) – meaning “beautiful”, is where Peter raised Tabitha from
the dead and where he had a vision in which God asked him to preach also to the heathens the Word of God.
Rock of Mt. Moriah – where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son,
Isaac. It marks the original site of the Temple where Jesus was presented to the Father and where He taught among the Scribes and Pharisees.
Dead Sea – considered the lowest point on the earth’s surface, it lies 1,300
feet below sea level. It is called the Dead Sea, because of the absence of any animal life in its waters. It is the most salt saturated water in the world, containing about 26 percent solids. Thus one can float on the water without making the slightest movement.

Enjoyable, - The hotels where we stayed, namely: NOF GINOSAR in Galilee,
FOUR POINTS in Tiberias, and HOLIDAY INN CROWNE in Jerusalem provided us with nutritious and delicious food as well as excellent accommodations.

Exciting, - It was, indeed, exciting to have experienced life as it was lived during the time of Jesus in a rural area – plowing, winnowing, baking, eating a typical Jewish meal under a tent, and riding on a donkey. Touching nature itself, by sailing on a boat at the Sea of Galilee, being baptized by immersion at the river Jordan and floating at the Dead Sea, were experiences that thrilled my heart.

Enriching - The orientations given by our tour guides as well as the homilies of our two chaplains, Rev. Fr. Leonardo Polinar and Rev. Fr. Peregrino Alar, filled my mind and spirit with much food for thought. The faith sharings of my co-pilgrims were likewise inspiring.

Envigorating, On several instances during this pilgrimage I felt the loving
Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus I grew in my faith and was recharged in my commitment to serve Him wholeheartedly.

The commitment that I made to the Lord can be capsulized by four letters: E L – A L, which happens to be the name of the airline that brought us to Israel. In Hebrew EL-AL means “God Above”, but for me it means:
E – nthusiasm: Serve the Lord with enthusiasm
L – ove - Love Him even in the unlovable
A – dore – Adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament, by
attending Holy Mass daily, visiting Him at least once a week for one hour at the Blessed Sacrament, and talking to at least one person a week about Jesus, the Messiah.
L – ove – Love Him especially among the people you work
with.

This then is a Pilgrimage to remember, which I shall treasure for the rest of my life.

Coming home from the Holy Land, I brought along with me some souvenirs, like blessed olive oil, blessed water, rosaries, crucifixes and other relics which I shared with my relatives and friends. I praise God that through these sacred objects, especially the blessed olive oil and blessed water, many have experienced divine healing. To cite an example, Ate Epy Decena who has been afflicted with a skin disease in her legs for quite a long time despite many kinds of treatment, suddenly saw the scales of dead skin being removed as she anointed herself with the blessed olive oil from Jerusalem. Now and then there are still some friends asking for even a few drops of this blessed olive oil, which has been God’s instrument in extending His divine healing.